CYCLONE DITWAH ANOTHER TEST CASE OF INDO-PACIFIC COOPERATION

CYCLONE DITWAH TESTS REGIONAL COORDINATION AS GLOBAL POWERS CONVERGE ON SRI LANKA FOR DISASTER RELIEF

- By Kelum Bandara

As Cyclone Ditwah batters Sri Lanka, international aid has surged from India, the United States, Pakistan, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, and other nations.

The crisis underscores the island's strategic role in the Indo-Pacific, where disaster response increasingly intersects with geopolitics and climate resilience efforts

As Sri Lanka reels from the impact of Tropical Cyclone Ditwah, humanitarian assistance has begun to flow in from international partners, including India, the United States, Pakistan, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, the Maldives, and Myanmar, among others.

Given Sri Lanka's geo-strategic location astride vital sea-lanes, the island has naturally remained on the radar of global superpowers. These actors all keen to secure strategic influence in the region under the banner of a 'free and open Indo-Pacific' regularly engage Colombo. In this context, disaster response has increasingly become a critical element of geopolitical outreach.

Climate change, now a universal challenge, is driving more frequent and severe weather events, sparing no country. As such, international cooperation has become critical in mitigating the impact of these disasters.

Sri Lanka, battered by Cyclone Ditwah and the torrential downpours it unleashed, is once again in distress. The damage is roughly estimated at between US$6-7 billion. Already weakened by the 2022 economic crisis, the country is struggling to shoulder the burden on its own and has therefore sought support from the international community.

Much like in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami, Sri Lanka has not been left to fend for itself. Humanitarian assistance is steadily flowing in from foreign partners.

Today, various international groupings seek to advance their collective interests, with climate change and disaster response being key areas of cooperation.